Ten Hag did not punish Rashford

Coach Erik ten Hag has resolved internal disciplinary issues with Marcus Rashford, allowing the English striker to return from Man Utd's match against Wolves in round 22 of the Premier League.

"Rashford has accepted responsibility, and the rest is an internal matter. The matter is closed," Ten Hag said on January 31 at a press conference before the match against Wolves.

When asked further about whether the English striker's behavior showed a lack of respect for the coaching staff and teammates, the Dutch coach replied: "It has nothing to do with that. As I said, the incident is over."

Coach Ten Hag encourages Rashford after taking the striker off the field during the Premier League match between Man Utd and Tottenham at Old Trafford on January 14, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Ten Hag once criticized Rashford for his "unacceptable" behavior when he went to a pub after losing 0-3 to Man City to celebrate his birthday in November 2023.

But the English striker did not learn from his experience, flying to Belfast, Northern Ireland to meet his close friend Ro-Shaun Williams, who plays for Larne FC, on January 24. Rashford was discovered going with his friend to a pub and partying for two nights on January 24 and 25, but only reported to Man Utd for one night. When he returned to the club, he reported being sick, missed a training session and missed the 4-2 win over Newport County in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

On January 29, Rashford and his agent Dane were at Carrington to speak with Ten Hag. Man Utd later released a statement about the incident saying: "Rashford has accepted responsibility for his actions. This has been resolved as an internal disciplinary matter and is now closed."

Ten Hag has been in charge of Man Utd since taking charge in June 2022. The Dutch coach punished Cristiano Ronaldo several times before the Portuguese striker left the team at the end of 2023. Ten Hag also expelled Jadon Sancho from the first team, when the England midfielder publicly criticized him on social media and refused to apologize.

"In football you need discipline and that's not just on the pitch but also off it," Ten Hag added of the tough decisions. "There's a line, and every professional player knows this. We have to focus on our game, on winning, and the whole team knows what the requirements are."

The 53-year-old coach continued to defend Rashford, saying that his student has improved in form with two goals and two assists in the last three games. Ten Hag also praised Rashford for increasingly playing well with striker Rasmus Hojlund and wants to continue this process.

Ten Hag confirmed Andre Onana could play after Cameroon were eliminated from the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), while Mason Mount, Victor Lindelof, Tyrell Malacia, Anthony Martial continue to be absent. Meanwhile, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Casemiro started, Harry Maguire came off the bench in the 4-2 win over Newport County in the FA Cup a few days ago and are all ready to play.

Ten Hag believes that welcoming back key players will help Man Utd have more options and become stronger, while reiterating the view that the team can beat any opponent if they are at their best.

Hong Duy

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/ten-hag-khong-trung-phat-rashford-4707726.html